I would like to get there someday since I retired in 2006.
I remember seeing photos of what Scranton looked like when it was abandoned and no TT, just a big hole in the ground. A lot changed. I have been there three times.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I was able to be part of a tour of the roundhouse back in 2014. It is nothing short of spectacular. Although the roundhouse is recently built, it is built to how a typical roundhouse would be back in the day. As soon as you walk through the doors, you feel as if you were back inside a roundhouse during the heyday of steam. The locomotive collection is equally impressive. Highly recommmended and a must see!!
I was able to take the tour there over a year ago. Well worth the trip.
Hmmm, tempting.
Helluva commute from Richmond VA though, darn it!
By the way, they're hiring! Go to their site, click on "about us" and then "join our team" to see their job openings. "Site Interpreter" is the listing that makes me hopeful they'll be a full fledged museum real soon!
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
I'd imagine there were a lot of "i's" they had to dot and "t's" they had to cross such as visitor-safe areas, ADA-compliant access points, rest rooms, and of course liability insurance before they could open it up to the public.
Certainly the first priority had to be the facilities and preservation means for the collection, everything else had to follow in good time.
This is the legacy of Jerry Joe Jacobson.
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/09/jacobson-champion-of-steam-dead-at-74
We are fortunate that Jerry preserved as much equipment as he could and make it available for future generations. I met Jerry back in the early 1970s when I was involved in some steam excursions in the Ohio area. Even then you knew he was a kind and generous person.
The attention to detail and "spare-no-expense" craftsmanship he built into that roundhouse and surrounding buildings is truly admirable. At one time there were many construction photographs available on the AOS web site but those have been reduced considerably.
I'm glad to hear that there will be more public access to the collection soon. Bravo!
Cheers, Ed
They're just getting up to speed this summer. Not quite a full fledged "museum" yet, but well on the way.
It would be worth it
About four years ago I took a guided tour of the back shop at Steamtown. What a tour. I thought that was better than the complete museum. But I am a retired industrial mechanic.
This is particularly important because many here may still think the 'veil of silence' regarding the ability to see the operation firsthand was still in place. Unless I misinterpret what they're saying, there is an opportunity to have guided tours at least three days a week now. This would likely be an extraordinary thing for anyone interested in the technical aspects both of steam and of preservation.
http://www.ageofsteamroundhouse.com/
No idea if this has been posted before.
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